Direction signal for automobiles



Jan. 25, 1938. w. R088 DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES I Filed June 6, 1935 '7 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 25, 1938.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 25, 1938. w. R088 DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 25, 1938. w. R055 2,106,660

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 25, 1938. w. Ross DRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1955 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. 25, 19666 w R 2,106,660

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 6, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 6" 115 16 1 fi I 2 Qi I I 9?] t 6 n? 90 LF" {1 W137 9 WI 1 11/ 6% 9g 7 H h in 125 12; '&

Jan. 25,1938. w, 085 2,106,660

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTbMOBILES Filed June 6, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES William Ross, San Diego, Calif., assignor of onethird to Bernard F. J. Storton, San Diego,

Calif.

Application June 6, 1935, Serial No. 25,337

3 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile signals and particularly to means for operating a signal arm and shifting it from a normal position to positions indicating slow, left turn or right turn.

The general object of the invention is to provide motor operated means for raising or lowering the arm to or from the three several positions noted and means for automatically energizing an electric lamp or lamps carried by the arm when the arm has come to its indicating position, these lamps, of course, being automatically de-enerized when the arm starts to return from an in- 4 dicating position to a normal position.

A further object in this connection is to provide the light circuit with two switches and provide a motor operated governor controlling one of these switches, and provide means operated in coincidencewith the movement of the arm for closing the other of these switches, the operation of the motor, which acts to shift the arm, acting to open the governor control switch until such time as the motor is automatically stopped with the arm raised to the desired indicating position or lowered to its neutral position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a motive vehicle showing in side elevation the signalling mechanism and the steering wheel with its column or housing, the car being shown in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the bell cranks which operate the arm from the motor;

Figure 4 is a face View of the arm, the covering plate being removed;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, with the covering plate in place;

Figure 6 is an elevation of the rear end of the arm and of a portion of the actuating mechanism therefor;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l--l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the motor and the mechanism operated thereby and controlling the operation of the arm;

Figure 9 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 8 partly in section;

Figure 10 is a section on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 9 showing in detail one of the contact members;

Figure 11 is a section on the line Il-ll of Figure 8;

Figure 12 is .a detailed fragmentary elevation of the intermediate gearing between the motor gear wheel and the rack;

Figure 13 is an elevation of the rack, the contact plate carried thereby, and the rails upon which the contact plate travels;

Figure 14 is a section on the line Ill-l4 of Figure 8;

Figure 15 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view of the means for connecting and spacing the three plates of the supporting frame shown in Figure 8, from each other;

Figure 16 is a sectional view through the hub of the steering wheel and the supporting column showing the contacts therein;

Figure 17 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the contacts shown in Figure 16;

Figure 18 is a section on the line Ill-l8 of Figure 2;

Figure 19 is a section on the line l9--l9 of Figure 2;

Figure 20 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the steering wheel rim on the same section line as Figure 18, but showing the neutral button in a depressed position;

Figure 21 is a section on the line 2l-2I of Figure 19;

Figure 22 is a diagrammatic view of the mechanism and of the wiring control buttons and other parts.

The signal arm is illustrated in Figure 4. It is in the form of an arm with an indicating hand, though it may have any other desired form. The outline of the signal arm is formed by a metallic frame designated 10 and defining a chamber within the frame within which the signal lamps I l and I2 are disposed. As illustrated in Figure 4, the base of the lamp l I is mounted upon a transverse cross bar l3. The base of the lamp I2 is mounted in the rear portion M of the frame, this rear portion being covered by the plates l5 and IS, the plate I5 being removed in Figure 4. These plates are held in place by the screws I! or like means. The signal arm is pivotally mounted at its upper end and when the arm is in its neutral position, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the arm bears against a stop having a rubber sleeve I8.

Mounted upon the front of the car at the left hand side thereof above the hood is a vertically disposed casing I9, shown in Figures 1 and 6. This casing at its upper end is formed with a chamber 20, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, within which is disposed a gear wheel 2| having an elongated tubular hub 22 through which passes a sleeve 23 attached to the arm. It is to be understood, of course, that the sleeve 23 and the gear wheel 2i rotate together. Disposed in a vertical passageway 24 formed in this casing I9 is a rack bar 25 having teeth engaging the gear wheel 2|. This rack bar 25 is guided for vertical movement within the guideway 24 and at its lower end is connected to a push and pull rod 25. This rod in turn is connected to a bell crank lever 21 which is connected by a horizontal rod 28 to a horizontally disposed bell crank lever 29 from which a connecting rod extends. This rod is made in sections, as shown in Figure 1, the section 36 extending through the angular end of a section 3| and being provided with a spring 32 disposed between the angular end of the rod 3| and stop 33 on the rod 30, thus cushioning the action of the rod section 36 upon the rod section 35. The rod section 3| is provided with a turnbuckle 84 whereby the length of the rod section 3| may be adjusted.

The rod section 3| enters a casing 35 which contains the slide which controls the action of the motor and which is operated by the motor. This slide is shown diagrammatically in Figure 22 and is designated 36. shown the rack 25 as being connected to the slide 36 by means of a cable A, but this cable is a diagrammatic representation or equivalent of the push and pull rods 28, 30 and 3|, as in a diagrammatic view such as that shown in Figure 22, it would be difiicult to show the push and pull rods and the bell crank levers.

The slide 36, as shown in Figures 8, 9 and 13, comprises a rack 31 shown as disposed in a horizontal plane and a plate 38 disposed in a vertical plane, the rack and plate being engaged with each other by any suitable means. Mounted upon the plate 38, which plate is partly of insulation and partly of metal, as will be later described, are a plurality of brackets 39, which may be formed as part of the rack 31, these brackets having passages through which guide rods 40 pass. There are two of these guide rods 40, one disposed above the other, as shown in Figure 9. These guide rods at their ends are engaged by clamping elements 4| and 42, a bolt 43 passing through these clamping elements and through a supporting plate 44 mounted on a wall 44 extending upward from the base 45, upon which the motor and allied parts are mounted, as shown in Figure 9. The clamping elements are shown in detail in Figure 14.

Extending parallel to the wall 44 is a vertical wall 46 and on the other side of the wall 44 and parallel thereto is a vertical wall 41. The motor 48 is mounted upon the base in any suitable manner, the motor having the usual brushes 49. The motor is a reversible motor. Inasmuch as the motor may be of any suitable ordinary construction and is of well known form, there is no necessity of describing the motor. The shaft 56 is driven by the motor and carries upon it a centrifugal governor designated generally 5|. The spring leaves 52 of this governor are mounted upon a fixed collar 53 at one end and at the other upon a shiftable collar 54, which carries thereon a plate 55 having an outwardly extending pin 56 which passes through an aperture in the wall 46 for the purpose of engaging a switch. The end of the motor shaft 50 is mounted in bearings in the wall 46.

As illustrated in Figure 11, the motor shaft 50 In Figure 22, I have carries upon it a pinion 51, which engages with a gear wheel 58 mounted upon a shaft 59 carrying upon it the pinion 60 which in turn engages with a relatively large gear wheel 6| mounted upon a shaft 62. The face of this gear wheel carries upon it a plurality of arcuately curved helically disposed teeth 63, as shown in Figure 11, each tooth starting adjacent the periphery of the gear wheel 6| and curving inward toward the inner margin of the gear wheel rim. The extremity of one tooth extends beyond the adjacent extremity of the next adjacent tooth. These teeth 63 are adapted to engage with the teeth of a pinion 64 mounted upon a vertical shaft 65 carried by a boxing 66 mounted upon the Wall 44, as shown in Figure 12. It will be seen that a rotation of the wheel 6| will give a slow but constant rotation to the shaft 65 through the action of the teeth 63 upon the teeth of the pinion 64. Mounted upon the shaft 65 is a pinion or gear wheel 6'! which engages the teeth of the rack 31, as shown in Figure 8. Thus, when the motor is energized and rotates in one direction, the slide designated generally 36 will be shifted in one direction, and when the motor is reversed, the slide will be shifted in the other direction along the track 46. The three walls or plates 46, 44 and 41 are connected to each other by the bolts 68, as shown in Figure 15, and separated from each other by the sleeves 69 which surround the bolts. The slide 36 formed of the members 31 and 38 is held with its rack teeth in engagement with the pinion 67 by means of one or more wheels 16, one of these wheels being shown, and this wheel being mounted upon a bracket H carried by the wall 46. This wall 46 is formed of insulating material, as indicated in Figures 8 and 9. The intermediate wall 44 is cut away at 12 for the passage of the governor shaft 50 and the springs 52 of the governor. The wall 46 is apertured at 13 for the passage of the switch operating pin 56, as shown in Figure 9. The rod section 3| shown in Figure 2 is connected to the slide 36 by means of the stud T4 in Figure 8. In Figure 22, the equivalent of this stud has been shown in the bracket and pin connection designated a connected to the cable A.

The outer face of the plate 38 is recessed and set into this recess and extending downward below the plate 38 is a plate 15 which is shown as of insulating material. Mounted upon the face of this plate 15 is a metallic facing 16 which is cut away at 11, so that at this cut away corner of the metallic facing 76, the insulation 15 is disclosed. Of course, it is to be understood that the face of this disclosed portion of the insulation is flush with the face of the metallic facing plate 16. Obviously, the insulation could be set into a metallic plate instead of the metallic plate being set into an insulating backing. Mounted upon the wall 46 of insulating material and extending through this wall are five brushes, one of which is shown in Figure 10. These brushes are designated TI, 18, I9, 86 and 8|, respectively. Each of these brushes, as shown in Figure 10, for the brush 11, is mounted in a metallic sleeve 82 extending through the wall 46 and through a supporting member 83 of insulating material Each brush is pushed outward by means of the spring 84, whose tension is adjustable by means of the adjustable plug 85 having screw threaded engagement with the interior of the sleeve. The respective wires from these brushes are attached to the respective sleeves in the manner shown in Figure 10. It will be seen from Figure 22 that the brushes Ti, 19 and BI are arranged in a vertical line and that the brushes I8 and are dis posed intermediate the brushes 11, I9 and 8I, but to one side thereof. It will be seen that the brushes TI, l8 and I9 coact with the three steps formed on the lower edge of that portion I5 of the insulation I5, which is disclosed by cutting away the metallic plate, as at H. Thus, the brush I? travels across the zone marked m in Figure 22. The brush IS travels across the zone marked y in Figure 22 and the brush I9 travels across the zone marked 2. The brushes 80 and 8| at no time come in contact with the insulation 15 but are at all times in contact with the metallic plate I6 and, in the case of brush 8|, with insulation at I20.

As will be seen from Figures 2 and 16, the housing or column H for the steering wheel W has an enlargement at it formed to define an annular chamber 71.. The hub to of the steering wheel W rests upon the outer wall of the enlargement h and rotates thereon. This steering wheel is, of course, connected to the usual steering wheel shaft. Mounted upon the enlargement h of the steering column are six brushes designated 86, 91, 89, 89, and 9|, respectively. These brushes have the same construction as is shown in Figure 10, and one of the brushes is illustrated in detail in Figure 17, and the outer sleeves of these brushes are mounted in an insulating plate 92. Carried by the steering wheel and rotating therewith is an insulating plate 93 carrying upon its under face six metallic rings 8%, 91 38 89 90 and 9I against which the brushes press. Leading from these six contact rings are wires H5, H6, H4, IIB, I2I and I25, which lead to the push button switches 94, 95, 96 and 91, as will be later more fully described, and as best shown in Figure 16. In Figure 22, these switches are diagrammatically shown. These brushes 96 to 9| and their corresponding rings are merely to provide for electrical connection at all times between the switches 94 to 91 mounted upon the steering wheel and the contacts 'I'! to BI, shown in Figure 22. Therefore, these contacts and rings are not illustrated in Figure 22.

As shown in Figure 2, there are a pair of switch buttons mounted at diametrically opposite points with relation to each other on the wheel W. As shown in Figure 18, one of these switch buttons designated 94 is for the purpose of causing the signal arm to move from an indicating position to a neutral or normal position when depressed. The other of this pair of switch buttons is designated 95 and, when depressed, causes the arm to move to a position indicating a right turn. As shown in Figure 19, a switch button 99 is provided for the purpose of causing the arm, when the button is depressed, to move to a position indicating a left turn, and the other of this pair of buttons, when depressed, is intended to cause an indication that the machine is about to slow down. The normal position of the arm is ver-- tical. When the button 91 is depressed, the arm moves from its vertical position through an arc of approximately 45. When a left turn is being indicated, the arm moves from a slow position to an angle of approximately 90 so that the arm stands out straight under these circumstances, and when a right turn is indicated, the arm moves upward to a position again at 45 to the vertical and extending upward and outward. None of these several positions of the arm are illustrated for the reason that this system of indicating slow, left turn and right turn is common and well known.

As shown in Figure 18, each of the buttons 94 and 95 extend down through an insulating plate 98 and the buttons 96 and 91 extend down through an insulating plate 99. Each of these buttons at its lower end extends into a sleeve or socket I00 wherein is disposed a compression spring IOI which urges the button upward. For the sake of clearness, I have designated the several sleeves by the numerals I00, I00 I00 and I00 these sleeves being indicated diagrammatically in Figure 22. All of these sleeves, as indicated in Figure 22, are electrically connected to a ground I02 so that when any of the buttons are depressed, they connect through the contact TI to SI, the motor with a ground. The motor 49 is connected through certain switches and conductors, to a wire with a source of current I94 and to the ground I05. A single lamp II is shown in Figure 22, this being connected at one side to a ground I06 and on the other side by a wire I01 to a resilient switch arm I08 which, when the slide 36 is in its normal position, is engaged by the end of the slide and lifted from its electrical engagement with the contact H19, this contact being connected by a wire IIO to a resilient contact III which is adapted to coast with the contact II2 connected by a wire M3 to the wire I03 between the battery I04 and the motor. It will thus be seen, by reference to Fig ures 9 and 22, that when the motor is not operating, the pin 56 will be forced outward, forcing the contact II I into engagement with the contact l2 and partly closing the circuit to the lamp. When the slide 36 moves away from its normal position, the resilient contact I08 comes in engagement with the contact I09 and completes the circuit to the lamp at this point, but inasmuch as at this time the motor is operating, the circuit is broken at I I I and I I2 by the withdrawal of the pin 56 so that the circuit to the lamp is broken at this point until the motor stops running. In other words, normally the lamp II (and this is equally true of the lamp I2) is de-energized and the lamps remain de-energized until the signal arm has been shifted to its indicating position and the motor has come to a standstill and then, and only then, can the lamps be energized. As soon as the motor begins to move in a reverse direction to bring the parts back to normal, the circuit to the lamp is again broken at the points III and H2, and when the parts have reached a normal position, while the circuit is closed at the contacts III and H2, it is broken between the arm I08 and the contact I09 and the lamp is again tie-energized.

As will be seen best from Figure 22, the push button 9'! which causes the indication of a slowing down of the machine is connected by a wire IM to the brush IT. The push button 90 which is depressed to indicate a left turn is connected by the wire I I5 to the brush I8. The push button 95, which is used to cause an indication of a right turn, is connected by the wire IIB to the brush E9. The push button 94, which is designed to return the parts to neutral position, as shown in Figure 20, carries upon it a metallic contact II? which, when the push button is depressed, engages the corresponding sleeve I00, this contact I I i being connected by the wire I I8 to one side of the motor field 48*, while from the other side of the field a wire I I9 extends to the brush 80. Attached to a metal plate I20 carried by the insulation 98 is a wire I2I which leads to one of the armature brushes of motor 48, thence by the other brush to the wire I03 and carried by this plate I20 is a resiliently lifted contact I22 having insulation I23 upon its upper face, with which insulation the member I I I engages when the button 94 is depressed, thus depressing the contact I22 into engagement with an insulated contact I24 which is connected by a wire I25 with the brush 8|. This brush 8I normally projects against an insulated surface I26 in the metallic face plate I6, as shown in Figure 22. Assuming that the parts are in the full line position shown in Figure 22, then the neutral button 94 is raised by its spring against the contact I20.

If it be now desired to show a signal indicating a slowing down of the machine, the button 97 is depressed. The current from the battery I04 passes by way of wire I03 through the armature to wire I2I and thence to the plate I20, thence to contact I I1, thence by way of wire II 8 to the motor field through the field to wire H9, thence to the brush and through the metallic plate 16 to the brush II, thence by way of wire M4 to the depressed button 91, and thence by way of sleeve Hill to the ground I02, and thence, of course, back to the ground I05, thus completing the circuit through the motor. The motor shifts the slide 36 toward the left in Figure 22 until such time as the contact 'I'I runs on to the insulation I5 which, of course, automatically breaks the circuit through the motor, and the slide I6 stops. Movement of the slide 16 to this extent pulls downward on the rack 25, rotating the gear wheel 2I to an extent which will bring the arm to the slow position extending downward and outward at an angle of approximately 45. When the arm has been brought to the desired position, the pressure on the switch button 9'! is released and the motor has ceased to operate, of course, the arm will remain in its slow indicating position.

If now it is desired to bring the arm back to neutral, the direction of current through the field 48 must be reversed. To this end, the neutral button 94 is depressed. This causes the current from the battery I04 to pass by way of wires I03 and I2I to contact I20, thence by contact I22 and I24 by wire I25 through contact 8| to the metallic plate I6, thence to the brush 8!], then by wire II 9 to and through the field 46 back by wire II8 to the contact plate III, and thence to the ground I02, thus completing the circuit through the motor in the reverse direction, causing the return of the plate I6 to its normal position, this movement of the motor stopping automatically when the brush 8I contacts with the insulation I26, thus breaking the circuit to the motor.

If it be desired to indicate a left turn, the button 96 is depressed, thus closing the circuit from the battery through wires I03 and I2I to contacts I20 and II"! to wire II8 to the field 4 8 back through wire I I9 to brush 60, thence to the brush I8 by way of the plate I6, back through wire M5 to sleeve I00 and thence to the ground. This causes the motor to operate in a direction to shift the slide 36 toward the left in Figure 22, until the brush 18 is engaged by the insulation I5 Then, of course, the motor stops, holding the arm in the left turn indicating position. The arm is returned to neutral by depressing the button 94, as previously described.

If a turn to the right is to be indicated, the button is depressed, thus closing the circuit from the battery through wires I03 and I2 I, contacts I20 and III, wire H8 to the field, back through wire I I9 to the brush 80, from brush 80 over the metallic plate I6 to the brush I9, and thence-by wire II6 to the contact carried by the button 95, thence to the sleeve I00, and thence to the ground I02. The moment that the slide 36 starts to move to the left, the switch formed of the parts I08 and I09 is closed, but the motor throws out the weights of governor 5| and this retracts the pin 56, breaking the circuit between III and H2, but when the slide 36 has reached its selected position and the motor stops, the contacts I I I and I I2 close against each other under the action of the springs 52 and the circuit is completed through the lamps II and I2. The lamps remain illuminated until the motor is reversed to reverse the motion of the slide 36, whereupon the lamps go out and remain out until the next indicating signal is to be given.

It will be seen that I have provided a signal indicating mechanism which is very simple as regards its circuits and which positively indicates the selected movement of the car. t will be seen that the control buttons whereby the signal is controlled are mounted upon the wheel in a convenient position for actuation by the driver. It will be seen that with this structure also that the driver can, by depressing the neutral button, cause the return of the signal arm to any desired position. In other words, he depresses the neutral button until the arm has returned to the position indicating the direction in which he has finally decided to go, thus permitting the driver to indicate, for instance, a

right turn and then, if he changes his mind, indicating a left turn or slow.

While I have illustrated certain details of construction and arrangement of parts, I wish it understood that many minor changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a signalling mechanism, a movable element, a reversible electric motor, means operatively engaging the motor with the movable element to shift the latter, the element being shiftable by the motor from a neutral to any one of a plurality of active positions and upon a reversal of the motor being shiftable to a neutral position, a signal arm movable to a plurality of selected positions, means operatively connecting the signal arm with said element, a signal lamp carried by the arm, a source of current therefor, a circuit including the source of current and the lamp, two switches in said circuit, means actuated by the motor when moving opening one of said switches, a stoppage of the movement of the motor closing the said switch, means constructed and arranged to act upon a movement of the movable element under the actuation of the motor away from its neutral position to automatically close the other switch in the lamp circuit, the return of the movable element to its neutral position opening the last named switch.

2. In a signalling mechanism, a signalling arm movable in a vertical plane from a neutral fully lowered position to a plurality of raised positions, an electric lamp carried thereby, an electric motor, means operatively connecting the motor to the arm to operate it, a source of potential, a plurality of circuits including the motor and the source of potential, a plurality of manually operable switches each controlling the passage of current through one of said circuits and through the motor in a direction to cause the motor to lift the arm, a manually operable switch controlling the passage of current through the motor from the source of potential in a reverse direction to thus return the arm to its initial fully lowered position, a shiftable element, means operatively connecting the element with the motor to shift the element in one direction or the other as the motor is operated in one direction or the other, said element as it is shifted in one direction automatically breaking the motor circuit previously established by the closing of the corresponding switch and after a predetermined movement of the motor, a lamp circuit interrupted at two points, means operated by the movable element constructed and arranged to automatically break the lamp circuit at one point when the motor has shifted the signal arm to its initial fully lowered position, said means automatically closing the circuit at this point immediately that the motor moves the signal arm from its fully lowered position, a switch normally closing the lamp circuit at the other point and urged to closed position, and means actuated by the motor when operating constructed and arranged to open the last named switch and hold it open against the action of the urging means until the motor stops.

3. A vehicle signal including a signal arm movable from a neutral position to any one of a plurality of selected signalling positions, an electric motor having a field winding, means operatively connecting the motor to the arm to shift the latter, a plurality of manually operable switches connected each by conductors in a normally open circuit with the motor and adapted to close the circuit through the motor and a source of current, each switch when closed operating the motor to shift the arm to a predetermined signalling position, means for automatically breaking the circuit through the motor and the actuated switch when the arm has reached its predetermined position, a manually operable switch electrically connected to the motor and the source of current and when operated closing a circuit in a reverse direction through the motor to return it to its initial position, means for automatically breaking the last named circuit through the motor when the arm has reached its initial neutral position, an electric lamp carried by the arm, and means for automatically closing a circuit through the lamp and the source of current when the motor has ceased to rotate and the arm has reached its selected predetermined signalling position and automatically breaking said last named circuit immediately that the motor begins to operate and to return the arm to its initial position.

WILLIAM ROSS. 

